[Einige praktische Winke über Konzentration und Meditation]
Translation from the German by Robert Hutwohl[1]
“If a man dies with his whole mind firmly fixed on a being whom he loves
from his heart, then when he separates from the body he merges into the nature of
that loved one. Whoever worships me alone comes to me.”
Bhagavad Gita IX.
By “concentration” is meant the inner gathering of thought and directing it to a specific object; “Meditation” in the true sense of the word is not just an objective consideration or intuition of such an object, but rather a spiritual entry into this object itself, a becoming one and identification with it, whereby full knowledge can be attained; for he who succeeds in this union recognizes himself as the object and also attains self-knowledge, because that with which he has united is not an “object” for him, but is himself. In a person who is completely absorbed in the object of his love or adoration, the concept of “I and you” disappears and with it all desire for possession of the object. There is no longer object and subject, but only the one force of love, the one consciousness from which, when perfect, comes true knowledge.
Every man, sometimes without knowing or intending it, practices concentration of thought whenever his attention is intensely focused on something, thereby a certain degree of unification takes place. One listens with rapt attention to the words of a good actor in the theater, one almost feels compelled to follow his movements and, as it were, plays one’s own part in the play. Even the physical body can participate, for it often happens that when you see another being inflicted with a wound, you feel pain in the same place on your own body. So, for example, a mother, like her child who was standing at the open window, had his fingers crushed by the window frame slipping down, and at the same moment felt a stabbing pain in her own fingers, which soon felt the same consequences as if her own fingers would have been crushed. The fact that one thinks one has explained these things when one calls them “hypnotism” is of no use if one does not know that in so-called “hypnotism” a spiritual radiation and spiritual union of the subject and object takes place.
Not only men but also animals are capable of this concentration, for that principle which is called “spirit” or “mind,” in Latin “mens,” and by means of which one can think and grasp ideas, is the same in human beings and animals. A hungry dog that is presented with a bone “loses sight and hearing”; he is absorbed in the contemplation of this bone and in the longing for it, and has just as little sense and understanding for anything else as a man who is completely taken up by any idea or desire.
Concentration, therefore, is nothing exceptional or extraordinary, and the difference between the concentration of a man engaged in an ordinary occupation that absorbs him completely and that of a saint or yogi who is wholly absorbed in God[2] is only that the object of concentration of the one is material and that of the other is purely spiritual, indeed the highest, which surpasses all human concepts and is therefore the most difficult to grasp; for the human spirit can only grasp things that are conceivable and comprehensible to it; the incomprehensible must be grasped by the spirit of God in man himself, and this is above all comprehension.
“Whoever would know God must turn to him in spirit and in truth.” No one can enter into God’s holiness except through the Holy Spirit of God in man himself; no one can enter eternal bliss in any other way than by the bliss of divine existence awakening in himself. Nor need it be mentioned that no one can enter into this state of union with God-consciousness through empty ceremonies, indulgences, adherence to the beliefs of dogma and theories, or through the gratification of scientific curiosity. All external or intellectual means for this can at most serve to remove the obstacles that stand in the way of this inward awakening, and often these are the most insurmountable obstacles themselves. Nor does a pure, simple, believing man, in whose soul the flame of divine love burns, and who nourishes that flame and sacrifices himself to it, need no further explanation; but for those who would like to know the “how” and “why” of everything first, because they cannot make up their minds when in doubt, and also for the foolish who have formed wrong views about such things, an explanation is needed. For this purpose a consideration of the various states of consciousness, of which man is capable, is needed.
The whole universe is a manifestation of the spirit from which it arose, and so in everything, “spirit,” consciousness is embodied; each is an embodiment of its peculiar state of consciousness, and there is nothing in the world that does not contain some kind of life and consciousness, however “latent” or hidden. If God is omnipresent, then He is contained in everything and in each of its atoms, though the thing or man feels or knows nothing of it; for from the mere supposition that God is present in all things, and that we ourselves are the temples of his Holy Spirit, to the state in which we become conscious of this truth is still a long step, and the mere acceptance of the theory is still of little use.
But occult science, as well as common sense, teaches that man contains, in essence, all things and forces which exist in the universe; for were there even one less thing in him, he would be a monstrosity and an imperfect child of God and nature, and if there were more in him, he would have had to get it from somewhere out of space and would be a most unthinkable monstrosity. Now since each of the principles contained in it stands in the most intimate harmonious connection with the same principle in our universe, because principles are uniform and not divided, and since the higher must always have an effect on the lower as soon as the lower similar to it stirs against it, it is in the power of man to cultivate in himself higher or lower, nobler or meaner qualities and thereby rise to a higher state of consciousness or sink into a lower one. Every principle is nourished from the soil from which it is born; the body belongs to the earth and is nourished by the products of the earth; the spirit derives its sustenance from the world of thought and the realm of ideas; the celestial soul originates in God and is nourished by his Spirit, which is love and wisdom.
Man has the advantage over many other beings that he can look for his own food. If he does not nourish his body, he will starve; the same is the case with spirit and soul. If he devotes all his energy to satisfying his physical cravings, his intellect lags behind in development. If he devotes himself entirely to intellectual speculation, the mind will be overfed and the soul atrophied. He who does not listen to the voice of his passions will ultimately no longer be bothered by them. Whoever leaves God will be abandoned by him, but whoever directs his will and thoughts firmly towards him, his presence will be revealed to him.
There is only one consciousness, only one love, wisdom, beauty, mind, etc. in space. Principles are indivisible, not the principles but their manifestations are divided into the forms. When one says, for instance, that this or that person has more intelligence than another, it means that the general principle of intelligence is particularly evident in him; just as the water is poured into differently colored glasses, each appearing different from the other.
The Spirit of God in man is an all-encompassing and pervasive unity, but human nature is a multiplicity, composed of different forces and substances, each having its particular kind of consciousness and from its peculiar source into which she returns in the end. What is divine in a person draws him up to the highest, what is earthly in him binds him to earth; his imagination flies through space and he cannot follow it; the passion within him draws him down into the realm of demons, and according to the degree to which man’s will has become free through the knowledge of the Most High. It is in his power to follow this or that attraction, to let the lower forces in his nature rule him, or to overcome them by the power of the Highest. His state of consciousness depends on the state in which he is, for instance, according to the plane of existence to which he rises spiritually or into which he sinks. A saint in a state of ecstasy knows nothing but God, a passionate man knows nothing but passion, and between these two extremes lie the ever-changing states of consciousness of human life. Getting into this or that and staying in it at will and experiencing it, is the purpose of concentration and meditation.
According to the seven principles that are present in the constitution of man, one can also distinguish in him seven states of consciousness, which according to H. P. Blavatsky are the following.[3]
- The external and objective consciousness.
- The consciousness of the inner or astral man.
- The lower psychic consciousness (Prana-Kama) [Prāṇa-kāma].
- The higher psychic personal consciousness (Kama Manas) [Kāma-manas].
- The true individual self-awareness (manas).
- The consciousness of the God-man within us (Buddhi).
- The all-consciousness of the Spirit of God in man (Atma) [Ātmā].
However, since each of these forms of consciousness does not stand alone and separate from the others, as, for example, the fans in a dovecote, or the jars of ointment in an apothecary, but it is a matter of spiritual forces that work on and into each other, then in each of these states seven variations can be distinguished. According to H. P. Blavatsky, these subdivisions of the two lowest, that is to say, the objective, external, and the astral consciousness, are as follows:
I. The External Objective Consciousness.
1. Objective Sensual Consciousness. It springs from the five external (physical) senses in humans and animals, and can be as alive in an idiot as in a wise man.
2. Astral instinctive consciousness. The same is active in sensitive plants and certain animals (ants, spiders, but not bees), idiots, etc., and especially present in deaf-mutes, sleepwalkers and some insane people, and it enables certain sensitive persons, without the aid of the eyes, with the tips of their fingers, to see the pit of the stomach and the like, to read closed letters and the like. Even if a person loses consciousness from fright, the consciousness passes over to the astral plane.
3. Physiological-Emotional Awareness (Kama Prana) [Kāma Prāṇa]. This is the general consciousness of life in the objective world. One of its effects is chemical affinity. This level of consciousness also includes the instinct that is inherent in animals and human beings and is necessary for the preservation of their lives, which is to shy away from danger.
4. Passionate-Emotional (Psychic) Consciousness (Kama-Manas) [Kāma-Manas]. In animals and idiots this is the instinctive consciousness at the lower levels of sensation, in man the mind comes to the aid of blind desire.
5. Mental emotional consciousness (Manas), the scope of which can extend to Mahat.[4]
6-7. Spiritual emotional consciousness, which belongs to the level of the heavenly soul (Buddhi), in which the spirit of God (Ātma) is reflected. From this plane of existence consciousness extends to the highest, the “Father in heaven”; it cannot be described, only experienced.
II. The Astral Consciousness.
1. The objective astral consciousness. It corresponds in every respect with objective consciousness on the physical plane. The “seer,” whose astral senses are opened, perceives the things existing in the astral world objectively, with the only difference that everything is reversed, like a mirror image.
2. Instinctive Astral Consciousness. The objects seen in this state appear very refined or spiritual. Mediumistic persons can reach this level; non-sensitive people acquire such perceptions in dreams, in a trance state, in somnambulism, or under the influence of a narcotic, opium, hashish, nitrous oxide, chloroform, etc.
3. Kama-Prana [Kāma-Prāṇa] – Astral consciousness. The images perceived here are extremely lively in nature. This condition is found in feverish delirium and drunken madness, and is the cause of horrific images and hallucinations of insanity.
4. Kama – manas [Kāma-Manas] – Astral consciousness. This is the most terrible of all states in the astral. From this plane come the ideas that lead man into temptation. Pictures of larvae and devils in kama loca [Kāma loka], in which all sorts of outrages and vices are represented and instill in people the desire for crimes of various kinds. Mentally weak people who have no inner stability are driven to similar actions and imitate them almost automatically and involuntarily. In this level are contained the seeds of epidemic aberrations and general disasters, war, murder, arson, earthquake, plague, etc.[5]
5. Mental Astral Consciousness (Manas). This is the mental astral plane from which come premonitions, warnings and advice in dreams, glimpses of the past and future, and the like. The images that belong here do not come from the higher spiritual region.
6. Astral Psychic Consciousness (Buddhi). Here spring the most beautiful inspirations of artists, painting, poetry, sculpture and music; high kinds of dreams and visions, inspirations of genius and intuitive knowledge. Fleeting memories of previous incarnations can also enter here.
7. Spiritual astral consciousness (aura). This consciousness is present at the moment of death, when the entire past life flashes before the soul, or also during extraordinary visions.
Thus, there are many different states of consciousness into which a human being can enter, and each of which has its own sensations and perceptions, and with each entry, a different world with its inhabitants opens up to him. But this entry happens when he gathers his spiritual powers into one on the path of concentration and through this power puts his whole soul into the object of his devotion and contemplation. In this way, one skilled in this art can, in a few moments, gain a better knowledge of the subject of his research than if he had pondered and speculated about it for years, which is why the wise Patanjali says:
“When the mind is so trained that the ordinary changes in its action are absent, and only those occur which concern the self-conscious taking up of an object for contemplation, the mind itself is transformed into the likeness of that object, and full knowledge occurs of the essence of it.”
The difficulty of concentration lies precisely in this keeping still. The spirit of most people is like a forest swept by an autumn storm, in which dry fallen leaves whirl to and fro in the air. Ideas, conceptions, and thoughts flow into us all the time, regardless of whether we welcome them or hate them, and if we try to hold on to a single thought for even a minute, this seems impossible to the untrained, because it always seems to impose secondary thoughts. Even the thought: “Now I want to hold on to this or that thought!” hinders concentration because it is itself a secondary thought and shares the effect of the will.
Any object can be chosen to practice the concentration of thought; but if one is chosen for this purpose which has nothing in itself that is uplifting or edifying, then only low and perhaps not at all desirable psychic abilities can be developed through his contemplation. The object of meditation of a true Theosophist should always be one worthy of itself; any high ideal, the remembrance of some great and noble spirit of the past, the laws of God, high principles, any good thought or deed worthy of imitation; but it is best to choose one’s own higher Self, the divinity in our humanity. But if we are to express it in the language of the Bible, this means nothing other than “Jesus Christ in us, the mystery of our redemption and the hope of our transfiguration and glory.” If you want to reach the highest, you have to let the low go, which is why it is said that wisdom is a jealous queen who wants to rule alone and tolerates no rivals.
It is often said that one need not think at all, but only let the Spirit of God work in oneself, and this is practiced by many who, out of curiosity or with the selfish intent of attaining “occult powers,” undertake such exercises, understood as if by mindless brooding or thoughtless dreaming one might attain this goal; but it is easy to see that this is not the right way to prepare the heart to become a temple in which the Spirit of God can dwell and be manifest. Such a “sitting for yoga” has no other result than moral and often physical decay, because a willless and thoughtless person opens the door to all possible lower and astral influences in this way and finally has the devil in his body instead of God’s spirit. True, he who wishes to meditate properly must make himself passive and receptive to the highest, but also positive and repellent to all lower influences, and this is done by purifying his heart of base desires and elevating his soul to the highest. “Rise up to me and embrace me,” says the divine Hermes, “and I will show you marvelous things which no human thought can conceive and no human mouth can utter.”
One of the Himalayan Adepts, K. H., says the following:
“The greatest difficulty to be overcome in meditation is transferring the knowledge of the Higher Self to the physical plane. To do this, the physical brain must be made inaccessible to everything outside the higher consciousness, and the astral body or double must be paralyzed, or else error and confusion will result. Above all, try to put yourself in such a state that you feel nothing of what is happening to your physical body; actually break up with him. But if in these experiments you feel any strange influence coming from without, immediately break the concentration. The best thing is to focus on the Master as a living person within yourself. Picture Him in your heart and let that be a focus for your concentration so that in that one thought you forget your physical existence altogether. This conception of the master within you is the best protection against hauntings. The whole experiment is much more dangerous for sensitive people than for others because their organism attracts and is accessible to other influences of nature. The best object for concentration and the best protection against evil is, under all circumstances, the inner higher self.”
As we can see from these words of a Master, this kind of concentration is something far deeper and more difficult than what is usually understood by “devotion” here in this country, and it would probably not be easy to find someone in Europe who even did the first injunction in the above, namely, to forget one’s physical body so as not to feel anything of what may be happening to it. There would also be relatively few who could part with their bodies, because for most of them their bodies are everything and their astral body has grown too intimately with it through their passions to be able to part with it.
Few in this country have any idea of the possibilities of genuine meditation, and these are beyond the comprehension of our scholars. So, for example, several years ago the English found an Indian saint (yogi) near Calcutta, who had been sitting motionless under a tree for many years, so that the roots of the tree had grown around his limbs, and while trying to hold him, in order to cut the roots out with an ax, he was so mistreated that he died. The Christian “pillar saints” also offer similar examples; but all these things are for our “enlightened” and “educated” only an object of mockery, because they understand nothing about it. The fact is that a truly spiritual or religious life is very different from what the masses (including the “clergy” and pious) believe it is. The truly spiritually awakened man, whether “Christian” or “gentile,” lives in “Christ” and is that God-man himself; life in his body walking on earth is for him, so to speak, only a secondary occupation forced on him by his unfulfilled karma, and the physical world for him is a place of banishment from which he hopes for salvation. For the modern man of the world, even if he thinks he is very “religious” (there’s no mention of the “materialists” here), this world is all he knows about and all spiritual life is a dream. His musings are outward, and what he calls “religion” is to him a sideline, a pastime, or amusement, if not hypocrisy, for which he expects a reward in heaven.
But more foolish than all this are the efforts of many who fancy themselves “theosophists” or “occultists” and who, misled by reading scriptures which they have misunderstood, undertake certain exercises which will improve them spiritually, morally and perhaps also bodily on the path of perdition. Here belong all those who have the selfish intention of acquiring occult powers for personal gain, and especially those who, perhaps with the best of intentions but out of ignorance, follow precepts which they are given, have read translations whose authors themselves understood nothing of the matter. This mainly refers to certain scriptures on hatha yoga and tantrika, pranayama [prāṇayāma], which are misunderstood by many.
For example, H. P. Blavatsky, says:
“Hatha yoga is based on the ‘suppression of breathing,’ which is called ‘pranayama,’ and which is understood by the tantrikas to be a suppression of the breathing of the lungs, whereas the ancient Bodsha [Bodha ?] Yogis understood it to mean “spiritual” or “will” breath. Some impatient “chelas” we knew personally in India, despite our warnings, took up Hatha Yoga practices. Of these, two succumbed to consumption, and one of these died. Others trained themselves to be idiots; one committed suicide and another became addicted to black magic; but his career, luckily for him, was cut short by his death.”[6]
We live in an upside down world; everywhere cause is confused with effect, and “theosophists” and “spiritualists” in general are no exception to this. But error is particularly dangerous precisely because there is usually a grain of truth hidden in it. It is true, for example, that when a man is in ecstasy, or even in a state of rapt attention, he “stops breathing,” and it is also true that by calm breathing one can control one’s excitement and think more calmly; but if someone imagines that by holding their nose they can transfer themselves to heaven, this is to be understood in much the same way as if one wanted to believe that, because Goethe wore a braid, one can make oneself a Goethe by wearing a braid. From our own observation we can wholeheartedly agree with Blavatsky when she says: “I strongly discourage anyone from engaging in any such hatha yoga practice, for it either ruins oneself completely, or one falls behind so far that one cannot do it at all.” It will be almost impossible to regain what was lost in this incarnation.”
But from the truth, which is simple and self-evident, very few of our modern “occultists,” “spiritists,” “theosophists,” “Christian mystics,” etc. know something; for as human nature itself is complicated, it is drawn to the multiplicity and cannot see the simple. It is well known that savage peoples have great keenness for the observation of details, but little sense for the whole. They see it when a leaf stirs in the bush, but the beauty of the bush is of no interest to them. It is similar with those “metaphysicians,” “psychologists,” etc., who also cannot see “the forest” “because of the trees” that make it up. They try to get hold of the truth by all sorts of detours and by all sorts of tricks; they just don’t want to go the straight way that leads to her. They seek to grasp the truth and thereby prevent it from revealing itself to themselves.
Likewise, a large part of the followers of any religious system, be it in Europe or in Asia, seek to reach paradise through external means, and since the “paradise” attained through this is only based on external appearances, it is also only an illusionary paradise. One finds it far more comfortable and agreeable to let someone else take one to heaven than to think for oneself, to walk the thorny path and burst open the gate that leads to heaven. That is why any new comedy presented before the eyes of the world finds sufficient support; but the truth has nothing to do with proselytizing, it does not roam the streets with a banging drum; it works in secret and no one finds it unless it is revealed within oneself. Only when this inner knowledge comes, then his knowledge is no longer based on what he has heard or read from another, rather he has the knowledge of the truth himself.
The purpose of concentration and meditation, then, is to create the conditions under which the True (God) can enlighten the soul and become manifest within. We cannot create the light within ourselves, but we can approach it; part of the earth would always remain in darkness if it did not turn all its parts toward the sun. In the same way, the wisdom of God (Theosophy) can also be shared in a moment with those who turn to the sun of wisdom, while it remains hidden from those who turn away from it, despite all their research and brooding. All study of the “Secret Doctrine” and other theosophical writings can only have one purpose, to replace erroneous theories with correct ones, to improve our world view and to draw our attention to the path that everyone who wants to reach the goal must walk; but the best teachings of the wise are of no use if not followed. Also, it is much easier to preach wise doctrine than to follow it, and there are many who are busy showing others the way which they themselves have never walked.
The present condition of the world, which is based on selfishness, lust for power, and greed, bears sufficient witness to how necessary it would be for mankind to come to inner composure and reflection upon himself; for despite all alleged enlightenment, even today, as has been the case for centuries, murder, robbery and theft, arson and desecration are committed in the name of “Christianity” and civilization. All these follies spring from the wrong concepts which men form of the essence of God, of themselves and of nature, and these concepts will not change until humanity in general realizes the underlying unity and omnipresence of God in the universe.
However, this religious knowledge does not consist in the mere intellectual assumption that the God of the universe is omnipresent and that his spirit is consequently present in all people, regardless of which religious system they belong to, and strives for revelation, but rather that everyone feels the truth of this teaching within themselves, realize it more and more every day and that the consciousness of this unity of the whole and the resulting togetherness of all inhabitants of the earth awakens to ever-increasing clarity. This can be done in no other way than by cultivating in one’s own heart the love of Godhead in humanity and the silencing of all selfish desires. This is the only true culture from which true civilization springs, and which has nothing to do with missionaries and bayonets, commercial interests and cannon.
The true gathering or concentration which any human being can exercise under any circumstances, then, does not consist in intellectual musing or theological brain speculation, nor in fantasies and dreams, but in having God (Truth) in the heart, the mind directed towards it and thereby nurtures the germ of his knowledge and promotes its growth. It also requires no other effort than resting the heart; for it is with the growth of wisdom or knowledge of God in the heart of man, as with the growth of a tree, which the gardener cannot make grow, but only promote its growth by creating the necessary conditions for this.
This is the beginning of concentration, culminating in religious ecstasy, in which there is full enlightenment and realization, in those who are fully devoted to it, but which is only for the wise and saints, whose hearts are purified; for only “the pure in heart shall see God.” We cannot create the light, it is already there; but the mirror of the soul must be free from earthly dust if it is to be revealed in it in its divine clarity. Nor can anyone reach the top of a ladder without surmounting the intermediate steps; nature does not leapfrog in the spiritual realm, but everything goes its regular course.
A pregnant woman represents for us a symbol of spiritual growth and rebirth. Not her person, but the child in her which is growing. She can deal with external things and does not have to constantly think about her condition, nor do scientific research about it. Yet she is inwardly aware of this new existence which fills her with anticipations of her motherly joys. The fruit grows without her doing, and when the hour of birth is over, she overflows with sensations known only to those who have experienced them.
But for those who are determined to devote themselves to a higher spiritual life and to further their inward evolution, there are some special pieces of advice that we can recommend in addition to the instructions given above.
- Man follows his habits, and it is therefore desirable to devote a certain amount of time each day to attaining inner calm and composure. The times of sunrise and sunset appear to be most suitable for this.
- After going to sleep, one should get used to thinking only of the highest ideal one has in mind and go to sleep with that in mind. The direction the mind thereby receives continues during sleep and produces its fruit upon waking. In this way one can free oneself from spiritual, moral and also physical evils. Almost anyone can trick himself into waking up at the appointed time by going to sleep with the intention of waking up at a certain hour; for the will continues to work even while the body is asleep. Knowledge of this law can, however, be applied to much higher purposes, and anyone who seriously resolves to get rid of this or that vice, to gain clarity about this or that, etc., will soon convince himself that he will succeed beyond all expectations.
- Likewise, upon awakening, one should immediately adjust his mind to aim at the superior high ideal and leave no room for the idle games of the imagination.
- Finally, both before going to sleep and after waking up, one should wholeheartedly forgive all one’s enemies.
Anyone who follows this will become a real theosophist and be a blessing for all of mankind, even if he remains hidden all his life and no one knows his name. The more he thinks unselfishly and acts unselfishly for the whole, and frees himself from the illusion of individuality, the more the consciousness of his true human nature awakens in him and the closer God will be to him.
Notes
[1] Some Practical Hints On Concentration and Meditation. [Einige praktische Winke über Konzentration und Meditation. Franz Hartmann, M.D. Lotusblüten 16, no. 99 (December 1900), 776-808] {A note to the reader. The pdf form of this document accommodates “live notes capability.” If you click on the superscripted note number in the text body, it will jump to the note, whether endnote or footnote. Then, when clicking on the superscripted endnote or footnote number, you will be taken back to the original text location as before. This article was reformatted from the original, but with the content unchanged other than fixing minor typos. Translation from the German by Robert Hutwohl, ©2025}
[2] {R.H.—It may serve to remind the reader who is not acquainted with Dr. Franz Hartmann’s writings, his use of the term God, which is Gott in German, is identical to the theosophical Monad, NOT the theistic Christian God. This is the case throughout his writings. He admitted that there was no sufficient, alternate word in the German language corresponding to “the One Life.” A pull quote may clarify: “If you want to delve deeper into the mysteries of the Christian religion, you don’t have to look for explanations in the ceremonies of the church, but in mysticism. However, even in German mysticism, the obstacle stands in his way that the term “God” is used in different senses, because in German we only have the one word “God,” while in Indian [Sanskrit] it depends on the sense in which it is used is to be understood, there are various designations (Parabrahm, Brahma, Iśvara, Karma, Ālaya, Mahat, Ātma, etc.).” [Raja-yoga, Hatha-yoga and Tantra, or White and Black Magic and Sorcery. [Radscha Yoga, Hatha Yoga und Tantrika oder, Weisse und schwarze Magie und Hexerei. Franz Hartmann, M.D. Lotusblüten 2, no. 15 (December 1893), 881-882]}
[3] It would be useless to enter here into the intricate doctrines of occult science, which deal with transcendental and indescribable states of consciousness, far beyond the reach of our experience, and to which only the highest Adepts in the state can comprehend.
[4] Since there are no terms for all such things in German, the German language also has no designations, or only such words for them, the meaning of which is understood completely wrong today, and we must therefore, for better or for worse, make do, or use the Sanskrit. Familiarize yourself with designations or stay in the fog. “Mahat” from Mahā — great, in a sense meaning the great world soul or spirit of the macrocosm. (See Goethe’s “Faust,” Part I.)
[5] According to higher science, such things have no “supernatural” causes, nor are they to be ascribed to the blind play of “chance,” but they have their natural origin, which, however, may be much deeper than our superficial scholastic wisdom can comprehend. Moral depravity leads to physical infirmity, wasted nerve power to epilepsy. But the same law prevails in the macrocosm as in the microcosm, and diseases of the world soul result in pathological phenomena and shocks in the political, social, even in the physical organism of the earth.
[6] {R.H.—During his many years in America and India, the author saw many such ruined existences, and precisely in order to counteract such follies, but not to spread them, he undertook the publication of the “Lotusblüthen,” mainly to redirect the German mind because just as H.P. Blavatsky was sent to India to correct misunderstandings by the culture of India, Hartmann was sent back to his homeland, as directed by Master Morya, to redirect the German culture back to its roots.}